A newborn baby girl was found abandoned inside a Woolworths shopping bag in a bush in Oakford, KwaZulu-Natal, on Tuesday morning after two people heard her crying.
According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), a man and a woman were on their way to a local tuckshop when they heard a baby crying from a bush near several houses.
They went into the bush to investigate and discovered the shopping bag. Using scissors, they cut it open and found the newborn wrapped in a black T-shirt.
RUSA reported that the baby’s umbilical cord had been cut but was not tied, while the placenta was also inside the bag.
Paramedics from RUSA examined the infant at the scene and reportedly found her to be in good health.
Witness allegedly saw woman discard the bag
Reaction officers interviewed residents in an effort to establish who may have abandoned the baby.
During these enquiries, a woman reportedly told first responders that she had seen another woman discarding the bag in the bush on Monday afternoon, a day before the newborn was discovered.
As of 10:20 on Tuesday, enquiries were ongoing, with officers seeking information about women in the area who may have recently given birth.
Anyone with information that could help identify the woman is urged to contact the RUSA Operations Centre on 086 123 4333.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
